Nader: Fight For Your Consumer Lives

WILLIAMSBURG — Ralph Nader did Monday night what Ralph Nader has been doing since the 1960s: He criticized corporate America, and challenged his audience to fight for their consumer lives.

The 55-year-old, silver-sideburned Nader, who the Washington Post recently called "the world's foremost consumer advocate," spoke to about 250 students at The College of William and Mary about everything from "ineffective" standardized tests to tail-finned Buicks to Tony the Tiger to student apathy to, of course, "Rockwell International, which specializes in stealing from the government; Union Carbide, which specializes in polluting the environment; and Citicorp, which specializes in ripping off the consumer."

Nader, who as a law student began battling the major car manufacturers but has never owned a car, challenged the students to "make a difference" and appeared disheartened when he asked his audience, "How many of you want to be leaders in the advancement of justice as you see it?" and only 12 students raised their hands.

"You're processed by a corporate economy," said the 6-foot-4 Connecticuit native. "You're told to tow the line. You crawl through life on your knees while we stuff $100 bills in your back pocket, and if you continue to crawl, we'll continue to stuff $100 bills in your back pocket.

"Do you choose to leave work every day with your conscience and your analytical talent?" he asked, "or do you leave your conscience at the doorstep? The question is whether you will be a whole person or be led by your nose by" corporate America.

Although Nader was expected to speak about what the consumer can expect from his educational dollar, he strayed a bit. Here's a sampling of Naderisms from Monday's speech:

On standardized tests: "They don't measure your judgment, wisdom, persistence, stamina or creativity. Otherwise, they measure everything that's important about you. They measure how well you can take a multiple-choice test. It's ludicrous because I've seen young people on the verge of nervous breakdowns over these things. There have been people slashing their wrists over these things. They turn us into Mr. Magoos."

On tuition costs: "You notice that students are in a weak position as consumers, like patients, the price is not negotiable to them."

On student apathy: "I envision a huge amphitheater of students who are asked, `What's the difference between apathy and ignorance?' and they say, "We don't know, and we don't care."

On corporate crime: "You never see courses on corporate crime. We don't learn anything about it in school. Yet everyday The Wall Street Journal has a story on a corporate crime. It should be called The Crime Street Journal."

On "serial students:" "Not serious students. These are students who watch soap operas all the time. They are so sad looking."

On today's authority figures: "Children have authority figures like Tony the Tiger" of Frosted Flakes breakfast cereal. "The purpose of advertising like this is turn the tongue against the mind."

On beauty and Congress: "Beauty is defined by the fashion magazines and the cosmetics companies, which work closely together. Imagine if people spent as much time watching Congress as they do looking at themselves in the mirror. Can you imagine how much differently Congress would spend our money?"

On automobile tail fins: "When I was a third-year law student, I asked the major car manufacturers to explain to me why tail fins are important. They said, `They are an important aerody namic function.' In 1960 and 1962, the fins got smaller and finally they disappeared. What did that tell me? It was clear to me that the winds had changed."